Introducing Itchy

For reasons that are fairly obvious, this fellow's name is Itchy. He is known in the Bangkok street dog community as a dog who is always scratching, nibbling, rubbing, and clawing to soothe his filth-ridden hide of various bugs and skin conditions. I personally try to avoid this guy, because last time we hung out, the next day I woke up with what felt like the Flea Olympics taking place all over my back and tail!

The weird thing is, Itchy has this warped belief that his bad skin and dirty appearance make him seem tough and strong. He's not an unpleasant dog, however, and I do feel sorry for him. He kind of reminds me of the character Pigpen from the Peanuts comic strip.

Itchy and I talk occasionally (from a distance). He told me about how one day during the rainy season in Bangkok, he got caught in a sudden, drenching thunderstorm (which is easy to do at that time of the year), which washed all the dirt and grime from his fur, leaving it pristine and fragrant. But Itchy felt this cleanliness made him seem weak, so in order to to preserve his rough and tumble Bangkok street dog image, he promptly knocked over a garbage can filled with rotting mangoes, and proceeded to roll around in the pungent mess until reaching a satisfactory level of restorative filthiness.